Installation for packaging a product in containers closed with a stopper and dynamic storage device for stoppers usable therein

Abstract

An installation for the packaging of a product in containers closed with a stopper, including in particular a filling machine ( 1 ), a stopping machine ( 3 ) and, upstream of this, a device ( 6 ) for the dynamic storage of stoppers suitable to drive the stoppers continuously and with a pre-specified pitch, the number of stoppers present simultaneously in the device ( 6 ) being at least equal to that of the containers present in a pre-specified part ( 7 ) of the installation, means ( 8 ) for the control of the supply of stoppers being provided upstream of the device ( 6 ) to control a device ( 10 ) for supplying containers located upstream of the pre-specified part ( 7 ); thus, for every container engaged in the pre-specified part ( 7 ) corresponds a stopper present in the device ( 6 ) supplying the stopping machine ( 3 ) and, in the event of an incident in the supply of stoppers upstream of the device ( 6 ), the supply of containers from the pre-specified part ( 7 ) is controlled ( 9, 10 ) while maintaining the operation of the terminal part of the installation at least until the incident is over.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A device for the dynamic storage of a pre-specified number of stoppers intended for the closing as they pass of filled container this device comprising: 
       means ( 15 ) for the supply of stoppers pre-positioned and placed one after the other with a pre-specified pitch,  
       conveyor means ( 20   22 ,  24 ,  26 ) moving the stoppers on a trajectory having a length a function of aforesaid pre-specified number of stoppers,  
       and removal means ( 27 ) located at the outlet of said conveyor means for grabbing the stoppers one by one, characterised in that the conveyor means include:  
       a cylinder ( 21 ) rotating around a vertical axis ( 23 ) and having, on its peripheral surface, a multiplicity of vertical parallel cavities ( 24 ), and  
       a fixed helicoidal track ( 22 ) tightly surrounding the cylinder ( 21 ) over all its height and suitable to support stoppers otherwise partially engaged individually in aforesaid respective cavities of the cylinder so as to be driven on the helicoidal trajectory defined by the track when the cylinder rotates  
       the number of turns of the helicoidal track and the number of vertical cavities formed on the periphery of the cylinder defining the aforesaid pre-specified number of stoppers present simultaneously in the device.  
     
     
       2. A device according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the supply means ( 15 ) comprise a rotating wheel ( 16 ) which has peripheral notches ( 18 ) spaced with the same pitch as the vertical cavities ( 24 ) of the cylinder ( 21 ) and which is suitable to grab the stoppers presented in line and to deliver them onto the end of the helicoidal track ( 22 ) respectively into the successive vertical cavities ( 24 ) of the cylinder.